Appropriations bill to boost funding for Lupus Research Institute’s education program

NEW YORK — An educational program partially conceived by a group focused on lupus research is expected to receive $2 million through a congressional appropriations bill.

The Lupus Research Institute said the 2014 Omnibus Appropriations Bill included $2 million for the Lupus Initiative, and the LRI expects it to pass this week, bringing the total support for the program to $6.6 million. The initiative is a lupus provider education program that the group created with the federal government. The American College of Rheumatology manages the program, which the Office of Women’s Health, the Office of Minority Health and the U.S. Surgeon General launched last year.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the Lupus Research Institute would receive the $2 million. The funding goes directly to the Lupus Initiative, while the LRI is the organization that conceived the program with the federal goverment, and the American College of Rheumatology manages it. This version of the story corrects the error.

Sandoz starts late-stage trial of Humira biosimilar

HOLZKIRCHEN, Germany — Drug maker Sandoz has started a late-stage clinical trial of a biotech drug used to treat autoimmune disorders, the company said.

Sandoz, the generics division of Swiss drug maker Novartis, announced the start of a phase-3 clinical trial of biosimilar adalimumab. The drug is a version of AbbVie’s Humira, used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and Crohn’s disease.

"This latest advancement in our pipeline represents our unwavering commitment to expanding patient access to biologics, particularly in disease areas where there is a significant need for more treatment choices," Sandoz head of global biopharmaceutical and oncology injectables development Mark McCamish said. "We look forward to bringing a high-quality and affordable biosimilar version of adalimumab to individuals around the world living with psoriasis and other debilitating autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis."

The company said the trial would support its efforts to win regulatory approval for the drug in the United States and the European Union. The company also is developing biosimilar versions of Amgen’s Enbrel (etanercept) and Roche’s Rituxan (rituximab).

Reports: Three drug makers have sights on Pfizer’s generics unit

NEW YORK — Three drug makers are looking into buying Pfizer’s branded-generics drug business, according to published reports.

Reuters reported that Actavis, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International and Mylan had expressed interest in buying Pfizer’s business segment focused on generic drugs. However, Reuters reported that Pfizer was not yet ready to make a deal and was in the process of a potential separation of the generics unit.

In July, Pfizer split its branded and generic drug businesses into three segments, including one "value" segment focused on generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars, with John Young as group president. Leadership appointments to the three segments became effective on Jan. 1 of this year.

As part of a panel at the recent Drug Store News Industry Issues Summit, officials from Walmart and Kroger shared the ways the two organizations go about taking a collaborative approach to health care.

Forgotten Password

Registration complete

REGISTER

USERNAME *

Spaces are allowed; punctuation is not allowed except for periods, hyphens, and underscores.

E-MAIL ADDRESS *

A valid e-mail address. All e-mails from the system will be sent to this address. The e-mail address is not made public and will only be used if you wish to receive a new password or wish to receive certain news or notifications by e-mail.

Password *

Confirm Password *

Please choose a password for your account; it must be 8 - 30 characters. .

First Name *

Last Name *

Company Name *

Job Title *

ZIP *

Are you a *

Retailer or Healthcare professional

Non-Retailer

How many stores do you operate?: *

Which best describes the business/industry you work in?: *

Which best describes your job title?: *

Please select the newsletters you would like to subscribe to

DSN A.M.
Daily news stories covering the retail drug industry

Breaking News
First-to-the-market with developing stories in the industry